- The angular bridger is a departure from current Renault designs.
- The production version will arrive at the end of 2027.
- It will feature petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains.
The Renault Group hit motoring headlines today with its “futuREAdy” agenda, which heralds the arrival of 36 models by 2030. We’ve already seen the new Dacia Striker brought to the fore, but the flagship brand also has something to show. Meet the Bridger, a refreshingly boxy crossover that will compete in the subcompact segment.
It’s still a concept for now, but a production version will follow in late 2027. The shape may give off a Land Rover Defender, but its footprint suggests a Suzuki Jimny. The Renault Bridger is just under four meters (157.4 inches) long, and like the other SUVs we’ve mentioned, its spare wheel is mounted on a swing-out door.
While the Defender and Jimny are go-anywhere vehicles, the Bridger is designed for the “urban adventurer.” The marketing jargon leads us to believe that this car won’t have any serious off-road performance, although it will offer a considerable ground clearance of 200 millimeters (nearly eight inches). It remains to be seen whether the concept’s fairly large 18-inch wheels will make it to the production model, but we expect the base model to have smaller wheels.
Photo by: Renault
The angular concept ditches the company’s diamond logo in favor of a large Renault wordmark that spans the entire width of the grille. The ongoing trend among automakers to ditch logos won’t end soon. Badges are much easier to recognize than spelling out the entire name, especially as more and more brands do it, but I digress.
With the production version still a year away, Renault is keeping most of its technical specifications under wraps. We know the Bridger uses a modular platform and will get petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains. Despite its small size, the car still offers 400 liters (14.1 cubic feet) of cargo capacity with the rear seats in place. This clever packaging also allows for 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rear knee room, which Renault claims is segment-leading.
Bridger will initially launch in India in late 2027, and availability will expand to other markets starting in 2028.
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Source: Renault
Motorcycle Pickup1: Renault has come a long way in terms of design, and the Bridger is a surprising addition to its lineup. While its off-road looks likely won’t translate into go-anywhere capability, its boxy shape is refreshing in a sea of curvaceous small crossovers.
Whether or not the car will come to Europe remains a mystery, but it would be nice to have something other than a major entry in the subcompact crossover segment. Even though it’s still a concept, we can’t imagine its muscular styling will change much in the production version.
